Mississippi

FBI Agents Search Offices of Lawyer for Richard ‘Dickie’ Scruggs

FBI agents this morning searched the office of a lawyer for indicted personal injury lawyer Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, who is accused in a federal indictment of conspiring to bribe a judge. Agents executed a search warrant for the office of lawyer Joey Langston of Booneville, Miss., according to the Clarion-Ledger.…

Dec 10, 2007 7:41 PM CST

Lawyer Pleads Guilty and Cooperates in Scruggs Case

Lawyer Timothy Balducci has changed his initial not guilty plea and agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy in a judicial bribery case involving high-profile plaintiffs lawyer Richard “Dickie” Scruggs. Balducci has cooperated with the government and will continue to do so, according to a plea agreement filed in a Mississippi…

Dec 5, 2007 7:53 PM CST

Late-Arraigned Lawyer Said to Be Cooperating in Scruggs Case

A delay in the arraignment of Mississippi lawyer Timothy Balducci is fueling reports and speculation that he is cooperating in the bribery case against Richard ”Dickie” Scruggs and other co-defendants. Sources told the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) that Balducci began cooperating in the criminal probe at some point after…

Dec 5, 2007 12:21 PM CST

Judge Tells of Shock at Bribe Offer

The Mississippi judge who helped in a federal investigation of well-known plaintiffs lawyer Richard “Dickie” Scruggs tells of a “shock that I can’t put into words” when he was first approached about a bribe. Judge Henry Lackey alleged in an interview with the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) that Mississippi…

Nov 30, 2007 1:16 PM CST

Scruggs Takes Issue With Letter Claiming Katrina Case Withdrawals

Updated: Are Richard “Dickie” Scruggs and his law firm withdrawing from all Hurricane Katrina-related litigation? The answer is yes, according to a letter from Don Barrett posted on the Wall Street Journal Law Blog. Barrett is one of the founders of the Scruggs Katrina Group, which represents thousands of policyholders…

Nov 29, 2007 8:03 PM CST

Katrina Lawyer Richard ‘Dickie’ Scruggs Indicted in Judge Bribery Plot

High-profile plaintiffs lawyer Richard “Dickie” Scruggs has been charged with conspiring to pay a Mississippi judge $50,000 to resolve a fee dispute in favor of his law firm. Scruggs is well-known for handling tobacco litigation for the state of Mississippi and more recently for suing State Farm on behalf of…

Nov 29, 2007 11:42 AM CST

FBI Searches Scruggs Firm for ‘Ancillary’ Document

Updated: The FBI searched the law offices of Richard “Dickie” Scruggs Tuesday in Oxford, Miss. Agents were looking for a document “ancillary” to the Hurricane Katrina insurance litigation, the Sun Herald reports. The search reportedly spanned several hours, during which time agents barred employees from the office. A lawyer for…

Nov 28, 2007 8:24 PM CST

Battling Misconduct Claims in Katrina Case

As if the ongoing insurance coverage battle involving Mississippi’s attorney general, a well-known plaintiffs lawyer and a national insurance company weren’t already contentious enough, explosive new allegations have just been made public. Attorney General Jim Hood allegedly threatened to indict the CEO of State Farm Insurance Cos., as well as…

Nov 8, 2007 11:07 PM CST

Supreme Court Halts Execution in MS

A last-minute decision tonight by the U.S. Supreme Court to call off the scheduled execution of a Mississippi murderer seemingly signals that there is now a de facto death penalty moratorium in place nationwide. The decision—which was made a mere 15 minutes or so before Earl W. Berry was scheduled…

Oct 30, 2007 11:44 PM CDT

Mob Moll: Mafia Solved Civil Rights Case

In the latest revelation in the ongoing murder trial of a former FBI supervisor in New York, the longtime mistress of a Mafia enforcer has testified that the FBI relied on mob muscle to solve an infamous 1964 civil rights case. (It was dramatized in the movie Mississippi Burning.) Witness…

Oct 30, 2007 8:35 PM CDT

5th Circuit Gets New Judge, Southwick Confirmed

Senators today confirmed Mississippi Judge Leslie H. Southwick to a seat on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals despite concerns by some Democrats that his past writings were racially insensitive. There were not enough votes for a filibuster, so Southwick won confirmation by a 59-38 vote, according to the…

Oct 24, 2007 4:21 PM CDT

New Trend? Drive-Through Law Office

A vacant Mississippi bank will soon offer an unusual feature when it is converted to a five-employee law office: drive-through. “People will be able to drive through and drop off payments or documents and not have to get out of their cars,” says state Rep. John Reeves. He is renovating…

Oct 23, 2007 3:32 PM CDT

Anger, Lawsuits Over Disney Star Tickets

“I will meet you at a neutral location. I will pay you cash.” No, these words from a self-described San Antonio aunt of two little girls are not part of a negotiation session with kidnappers. They’re part of the ticket-resale frenzy sparked by the unexpected—at least to many adults—national sensation…

Oct 8, 2007 4:46 PM CDT

Scruggs Stays on State Farm Case

A federal judge has refused to disqualify lawyer Richard “Dickie” Scruggs from representing dozens of Mississippi homeowners suing State Farm for denying Hurricane Katrina claims. U.S. District Judge L.T. Senter Jr. said State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. waited too long to file a motion seeking Scruggs’ ouster, the Associated…

Sep 14, 2007 4:10 PM CDT

Big-Name PI Lawyer Sentenced for Bribing Judges

A wealthy Biloxi lawyer and two former Mississippi judges were sentenced on Friday for taking part in a bribery scheme. Lawyer Paul Minor was sentenced to serve 11 years in prison and ordered to pay a $2.75 million fine and $1.5 million in restitution, the Sun Herald reports. Minor earns…

Sep 10, 2007 1:10 PM CDT